In the first match of the 3-match T20I series between India and New Zealand, the Kiwis dropped as many as three catches of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli. All batsmen then went on to smash the bowlers and took India to 202, a total they defended by 53 runs to register their first T20I win over New Zealand.
Indian openers Dhawan and Rohit not only have the left and right-hand combination in their favor, they also took the advantage of preferring different lengths. When New Zealand’s pavers dropped short, Dhawan and Rohit smashed them all over the park.It was, therefore, evident that Rohit hit six fours and four sixes, and Dhawan 10 fours and two sixes.
That New Zealand didn’t have a lot more than 200 to chase was down to Ish Sodhi’s legspin. A surface that offered turn aided him. Bowling the 17th over, he dismissed Dhawan and Hardik Pandya in the same over.
Tim Southee and Trent Boult bowled a back of a length, conscious of avoiding bowling full. But Indian skipper Virat Kohli met the ball early, and let his immense bottom-hand power take the ball over midwicket. He finished with an 11-ball 26 without a four 3 sixes, the kind of cameo that substantially increases margin in T20s.
With Rohit on 80, he was given out caught behind to a wide yorker, but the third umpire was asked to check if the edge hit the ground and the catch taken by the keeper. Bizarrely, Anil Chaudhary reversed the on-field decision and soft signal of out, adjudging that “bat hit the ground” without satisfactory evidence. New Zealand reviewed the decision, and had it overturned. Doubtful expressions abounded all around the Feroz Shah Kotla.
In the second over of New Zealand’s chase which was bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal had a wide long-off and Hardik Pandya ran around to his right and put in a full-length dive, both feet off the air, and grabbed a two-handed blinder.
Ashish Nehra’s farewell game wasn’t perfect, on a personal level as he didn’t get a wicket but it wasn’t bad either. He had two tough catches dropped off his bowling. However, as they say, all well that ends well and a phenomenal career ended on a good note for him, hope he has a prosperous life ahead.
Brief scores: India – 202/3 (S Dhawan 80, I Sodhi 2/25) defeated New Zealand – 149/8 (T Latham 39, A Patel 2/20) by 53 runs.
